Lido Layout and Orientation

ABOVE: The Lido di Venezia (on left) is a long
island that protects the Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. The Lido is only
a short distance by water bus from the Piazza San Marco and other landmarks in
Venice's historic center.

The
Lido di Venezia is a wide sandbar or barrier island that measures about 11 km (7
miles) long and 700 meters (less than half a mile) at its widest point. On its
eastern side (left in the photo above), it has a long series of beaches that
face the Adriatic Sea. The western waterfront faces the Venetian Lagoon, the
city of Venice, and the Italian mainland.

Two shipping channels
mark the Lido's northern and southern boundaries: On the north (just to the
left of the top photo), the Porto di Lido
is used by cruise ships, ferries, and other ships. To the south, by the
village of Alberoni, the Porto di Malamocco
connects with the Malamocco-Marghera ship channel, which is used by
freighters and tankers on their way to the Marghera industrial port on the
Italian mainland near Venice.

BELOW: The Porto di Lido, with Punta Sabbioni on the left and the Lido to
the right of the ship channel. The Adriatic Sea is in the distance, beyond
the gap.

Most of the Lido's hotels, restaurants, and shops are near the "Lido di
Venezia" label in the photo at the top of this page. The main commercial street, the
Gran
Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta, runs across the island from the Adriatic
beaches to the ACTV vaporetto (water bus) stop on the Lagoon.

From
this street, you can easily walk over level ground to most places of
interest or to your hotel. (You can also take local buses, hire taxis, or
rent a bicycle or quadracycle if you prefer wheeled transportation: Unlike
central Venice, the Lido allows bikes, pedal cars, and motorized traffic.)

For a more detailed overview of the Lido, see our
Lido Map, which is a Google satellite map that you can zoom and drag.